title: Follow-up of 18 patients with human immunodeficiency virus infection and chronic Chagas' disease, with reactivation of Chagas' disease causing cardiac disease in three patients.
abstract: A series of 18 patients with chronic Chagas' disease and human immunodeficiency virus infection were followed up for 2 to 66 months (median, 15.5 months). Artificial xenodiagnosis was positive for 81.3% and natural xenodiagnosis was positive for 81.8% of patients for whom they were performed; 81.8% of 11 patients had medium- or high-level parasitemia. Reactivation of Chagas' disease--direct microscopic examination of blood revealing parasites and, clinically, patients presenting with cardiac disease--occurred in three patients (16.7%). Specific antitrypanosomal treatment with benznidazole was effective in reducing the level of parasitemia and improving the clinical condition in three of the four patients treated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Shikanai-Yasuda
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Amato Neto
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002598:Chagas Cardiomyopathy / Q000209:etiology*; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000175:diagnosis